Apparatus for freeing lump-starch from adhering dust or powder.



A. W. H. LENDERS. APPARATUS FOR FREEING LUMP STARCH FROM ADHERING DUST 0R POWDER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6. I914. 1,223,406. Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

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Arrannrns non rnnnme LUMP-STARCH FROM Annnnrivqnusron rownnn.

Original application filed March 30, 1914, Serial ,No. 828,415. Divided 1914. Serial No. 843,352.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Anonrr-r W. H. LEN- DERS, acitizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cedar Rapids, in thecounty of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented a new'form of Apparatus for Freeing Lump-Starch from Adhering Dust or Powder, of which the following is a specification.

An examination of the carton containing the lump'starch, such as is now on the market, discloses the fact that the carton contains a certain percentage ofdust and that the surfaces are coated with an adhering starch powder. My invention has for its object toprovide apparatus whichwh-en used m conneetion with the packing of the starchwill produce a dustless lump starch. "To accomplish' this result it'is essential that there should be nothing to interfere with the travel of the starch after it is subjected to the means for --removing-=the adhering starch or dust powder. I am aware that there are a number of varieties of apparatus for cleaning granular products, but none of these, with which I am familiar, could be'utilized to accomplish the result produced by my invention; that is, the cleaning or removing of the adhering dust frorn-the starch, because starch, by reason of its delicate nature and composition, is so easily abraded that it has to be handled with the greatest care, which is provided for in my improved apparatus as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

My means of accomplishing the foregoing objects may be more readily understood by having reference to the accompanying drawings, which are hereunto annexed and are a part of this specification, in which:

The figure is an enlarged detail view of the apparatus partly in section for handling the fine lumps.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the-entire description.

This form of apparatus is intended to be used in conjunction with the apparatus described in my co-pending application, Serial N 0. 828,415, filed March 30, 1914:, of wh1ch this'is a. division, and is designed to be used for freeing the finer particles of starch from the dust, these finer particles being the ones employed to fill the carton so that it will be of the desired weight.

As shown in the drawing, my apparatus Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 24;, 191 '7.

and this application filed June 6,

comprises a cylinder 1, the wall of which is formed of screen or other foraminated metal, which has mounted in its center an internal structure provided with a conical top 2, having vertical cylindrical walls 3, depend ing downwardly from the lower edge of the conical top 2. A pipe 4, which is connected to a suitable source of compressed air supply (not shown)v enters the conoidal shaped structure 2, at its top, and is adapted to discharge the air in the interior of the said structure. The. air issuing from the pipe in a stream, strikes the bottom 5, of the cylindrical walls 3. This bottom is solid and (ii? verts the direction of the air current so that it passes out radially through the foraminations in the walls 3 of the structure. The starch is discharged into a hopper 8, and passes "into theannular space surrounding the conoidal structure 2, its course of travel "into this space being directed by means of stile-shape of the top of said structure, and 1t necessarily passes through the radiating air currents which are passing outwardly from the cylindrical walls 3. This structure is surrounded by an inverted conoidal structure 9, the bottom of which terminates at the termination of the foraminations in the walls of the cylindrical structure 1.

A pipe 10, which is connected to a suitable exhaust fan (not shown) to produce a suction, opens into the conoidal structure 9, and is provided with a. damper 11 of the usual form. The walls of the cylinder 1, are large enough to permit, the escape of the dust, but are small enough to prevent the small lump or pearl starch being carried out by the radially moving current of air. It has been found in practice that to attempt to permit this dust to settle fails to accomplish the desired result and that it is necessary to provide for its escape in a totally different direction from that in which the cleaned lump starch is moving, or it will not remain free from dust. plished by means of opening the damper 11, in the pipe 10, and permittingthe exhaust fan (not shown) to draw the dust laden air off, whence it may be conveyed to any suitable separating chamber.

1 Just below the discharge orifice of the cylindrical walls 3, is the carton 14:, which is to be filled, a fragmentary portion of a weighing machine being shown. The result This {is accom-- of this operation is that the starch delivered to the carton 14, is entirely free from dust of any kind.

Having described my regard as new and desire ters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described a structure provided with a vertical relatively short and narrow and substantially unobstructed passage, the walls of said structure being foraminated, said passage being open for the unobstructed discharge of material, means for passing unidirectional uninterrupted currents of air across said passage and through the foraminated walls, means for delivering starch lumps to be cleaned to the top of said passage, and suction means open to the atmosphere surrounding said device and adapted to carry away the dust passing through the foraminated wall.

2. In' a device of the character described a structure provided with a vertical relatively short and narrow and substantially unobstructed passage, the walls of said structure being foraminated, said passage being open for the unobstructed discharge of material, means for passing unidirectional uninterrupted currents of air across said passage, said means being centrally loinvention what I to secure by Let- Copies of this patent may be obtained for cated within said foraminated walls, there being an annular space intermediate the two, and means to deflect starch lumps'into said space, means for passing unidirectional uninterrupted currents of air across said space and through the foraminated walls, means for delivering starch lumps to be cleaned to the top of said passage, and suction means open to the atmosphere surrounding said device and adapted to carry away the dust passing through the foraminated wall.

3. In a device of the character described, a structure provided with a vertical relatively short and narrow and substantially unobstructed passage, the walls of said structure being foraminated, said passage being open for the unobstructed discharge of material, means for passing unidirectional uninterrupted currents of air across said passage and through its foraminated walls, means for delivering starch lumps to be cleaned to the said passage, and suction means for carrying away dust issuing from said structure.

In testimony whereof, I have signed the foregoing specification.

ADOLPH W. Witnesses:

A. M. DoucnAs, R. W. BLACK.

H. LENDERS.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

